stevens



Feb. 26, 1929.

W. C. STEVENS TIRE FINISHING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet EQWN I vJFK/alibi":

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- Witness W. C. STEVENS TIRE FINISHING MACHINE Feb. 26, L929. 1,703,832

Filed April 2, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W /28 zy-a' P6 W. C. STEVENS TIRE FINISHING MACHINE Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,832

Filed April 2, 192 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Tl g WLL/A/V By a f? 3 Feb 26, 1929. V 1,703,832

W C. STEVENS TIRE FIN I SHING MACHINE ril 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet '4 I I720 z Maw/75%. C L

Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,832

w; c. STEVENS TIRE FINISHING MACHINE Eiled April 2, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 cs ggp eigfivw witness- O E) rams I f 75y e I l Passed; Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,703,832 PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLTAM C. STEVENS, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRESIONE TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TIRE-FINISHING MACHINE.

Application. filed April 2, 1924. Serial No. 703,661.

This invention relates to machines for making tires and especially to machines for performing the finishing operations in the build ing of pneumatic tire casings.

In the manufacture of pneumatic tire casings the carcass of the tire is formed of plies .'of fabric Stretched about an annular core of tire-shape in cross-section and of beads secured to the carcass by wrapping the margin-- al portions of the plies about the beads. These operations are performed on tire-buildingmachines as will be understood by those skilled in the art and accordingly it is not necessary that they oe described-here. From the tire building machine. the carcass is car ried on its core to the finishers. The finishers apply those portions of the tire known in the art as the bead-chafer strips, the side walls and the tread. The head chafer strip is a strip of rubberized fabric which is stitched into place about each head on the carcass, over the marginal portions of the plies which have beenwrapped there-around, so as to extend into lapped enga 'ement with the side walls; 'The side walls are strips of rubber which are applied to the carcass so as to extend from the bead where they over-lap the ehafer strip to lapping engagement with the tread. The tread is a strip of tough rubber having a breaker strip of fabric therein and it extends about the periphery of the tire and into overlapping engagement with both side walls.

Heretofore, finishing operations such as those described above have been performed on finishing stands adapted to support core carrying a carcass so that the core may be manually rotated in a vertical plane.

In appyingthe chafer strips and side walls to a tire so mounted, great difficulty is en'. countered in attempting to properly and stitch the strips in place, the worlnnanusuallybeing required to stoop or sit on a low stool in order to be enabled to work on the side of the tire. v 7 It is the purpose of this invention to provide a machine for finishing tireswhich is such as will require less hand operation and will have a greater capacity than a number of workmen employing ordinary finishing stands. a The chief object of the invention is to provide a universally mounted core-carrying chuck and tire-shaping devices operable onto a core in" various positions of the chuck. Other important objects are to provide means for driving a core cireumferentially in any position of the chuck, the said means preferably being adapted for operation at two speeds; to provide means whereby the core may be rotated circumferentially in the same direction in reversed positions; to provide a device adapted to simultaneously stitch a bead chafer strip and side wall into place on a tire in horizontal positions of the core and to provide an improved tread stitching device operable toward and from the core when supported in a vertical position.

Other more specific objects will appear from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the invention is illustrated in its pre" ferred form, it being understood that it is not limited to the specific device illustrated.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention and illustrating a core carrying a carcass in one of itshorizontal positions, the vertical position of the'core being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2, is a front elevation thereof.

'Figure 8, is a plan thereof.

Figure 4, is a vertical section in detail of the The um'eersal head and core driving elements.

The head 14. is supported on the table 10 in a bracket 15, the-head beingformed with a trunnion 16 (Fig. 4) journaled in a bearing 17 formed in the bracket 15. Bushings 18, 18 may be interposed between the trunnion 16 and the bearing 1.7. Acoracarrying arm 19 is formed on the-head 14, the arm19 being substantially a hollow semi-cylinder whereby 'it willhave great strength and will act as a housing for a core-driving means later to be described. The arm 19 has'formed in its outer end a transverse bore 20 forming a bearing for a shaft 21 of an expansible chuck 22 adapted removably to receive a core 23 on which is mounted a tire carcass 24. The shaft 21 is formed with an enlarged end 25 adapted zontul plane.

to retain the shaft in the bearing 20, a bushing 26 in the bearingQO being formed with a bearing portion 27 for the enlarged end i weer washer fillpre'terzibly being interposed between the and the bearing. The bevel 7 gear 28 is in mesh with a bevel r 30 secured on a shaft 31, journaledin a. bearing bracket .32 which is securcclto the arm 19 near the outerend and within the hollow portion thereof, and in a beering'33 formed in the head 14-. The gear 30 and a. thrust coller 34: ere'srrenged so v as to prevent longitudinal motion of shaft 31 in its bearings.

y it is desired for a purpose later to be described that the core 23 should rotate in the 5311M; direction in reversed positions in a hori- To this end, the shaft 31 is adaptedto be driven in either direction.

For this purpose edrive sprocket 35 and a drive gear 36 are journaled on theshett- 31,

.Qthe sprocket being held against longitudinal .movement'reletive tothe'shatt31 by collar 37 and the gear 36 by the head ll. A shiftzrble 1 clutcheoller 38 is splined on the shaft 31 between the sprocket 35 and they gear 36 and is adapted to be shifted intoclutching enge ement with euch'or into a neutral position between the two. .For shitting the clutch collar 38 there is provided an arm 39 pivoted to the 11 zit arm 19 and pivotelly connected to the collar 38. The arm 39 is adapted to be operated by a-menuel'ly operable lever l0 (Fif 1) securec thereto the positions of lever 40 to hold the clutch respectively in engagement with gear 36, neutral position and in engagement with procket 35 being; determined by notches ll. end 43in a member secured to the 19, a suitable hitching device, indicated t5 on the lever 10, being adapted to enge nerin' the 'IlC'ilk'lilQS 41, i2, ori3.

I lJriving of the shaft 31 in any position of shaft 46 p the heed lt is accomplished by e drive-shaft el-tijc z' iice ti'ic with the unis 0t theheud, the

ng'journuledin av bore t? extending throu i the head let and its trunnion l6.

3 is securcd'on theshett 46 so us to [mesh with the gear 36 ends. sprocket 49 is secured on the shat-t 46 end has trained there- 7 over echuin 50 for driving sprocket 35.

""Shzit't 16 is adapted to be driven at two speeds ;respectively by sprockets 51 and 52. Sprocket, 51 is adaptedtodrive the shaft 46 at hightspeed and is positively connected thereto as shown,g-by being keyed or other wisesecured to a sleeve 53 formed on the plate 54 etc bellclutch which plate 5 key ed =or otherwise secured to the shaft- 1 Tillie mosses sprocket 52 is adapted to drive the sh ectt 4G by being secured to clutch casino; 55 to which the sproc ret is secured. The bell clutch comprising plate 54r-und casing 55 may be of any suit able type the details of which need not be illustrated whereby speed-flexibility oil? the core is obteinec, the core not tending to jerk \vien changing from high to low speeds or vice verse.

The sprocket 51 is adapted to be driven by a. chain 5'? trained over it sprocket 58 on u shaft 58 journzilcd in bearings 30. 0 on 'lrzinic 10. The shaft 59 is adapted to be driven by e. sprocket 61 over which is trained u chum 162 driven by a sprocket (23 secured to a: clutch drum S l, the sprocket 63 and drum til bell journeled on :i drive slm'lt which is mounted in brackets 65, (55. 'l. he sprocket 52 is adapted to be driven by u Clllllil (5(3 trained over :i sprocket 6? secured to :1 clutch comprising a drum (51- or (38 (Fig. 5) rolul ably mounted on the shaft and formed with cone-shaped inner surface againstwhich are adapted to be forced expandinp members 69, '39 which are adapted to be expended by fingers 70. TO pivoted on u collar T1 secured to the shaft 65, the fingers being formed on their free ends with rounded surfaces adapted to be engaged by tapered portions 72, 72 on a shiftablc collar '53 which is adapted to spread the fingers when moved longitudinally along the shaft. For shifting the collar 3 there is 1n'ovided c. yoke Tl; (Fig. 1) cu v ing studs 75, '1' 5 on the collar and caper-thud by an arm 76 pivoted on a bracket 77 mounted on the base plate 11. lhe arms 76 is connected by a link 78 to {111 arm 79 secured on :1

rock-shaft S0 operable by u pedal 81. u rctructile spring being adapted normally to hold the pedal 31 in neutral position. t-lhel't 65 is driven by :1. worm gear 33 secured thereon and meshing with a worm 8s; journulcd in one the brackets (25 And driven throiu 'h e 'lexible connection by a motor 1:16 mounted on the base plate.

i- ()1 sciuiing the head it Ll ii plumb-. oi unuuler positions. nu uunulur d sk H l cured. thereon i'n'cflierzibly a scout the bi'ni'ltci 15 and hes its outer circuui'lercncc, :1 pinrzilityoi" slots 83. 33 so positioned and so spec-ed to permit it veiiiczill opcrublc latch 39 to enter :1 slot to lock the lieu [l in any predetermiuwl position. The latch Si) may be'operiited through :1 slot in th table by means of an arm 91 secured on u rock shaft 92 mounted :1 bracket 93 dcpriuliugg from the under surface of thetuble 1t). .Jltll 3111194.- 18 secured on the rock-shutt 9i? and is connected by a. link 95 to an arm mount ed on rock-shaft 97 adapted to be operated by e pedal 98. The latch 89 is normally urged upwardly and is adapted to release the lll ring again'sl-owly rotated to roll the end of the strip in place. v

Theother si'de wall and chafer are applied in a similar mannerthe core being unlatched, rotated to reversed horizontal position and relatched as will be understood, the side-wall stitcher being swung back out of the way for this purpose. So that the core will again be driven clocliw'se, (Fig. in its reversed position, the lever is shifted from notch 11 to 43 or vice versa, as the case may be, so that the core-drivingshaft 31 is rotated in reverse direction.

After the second side-wall and chater have heen'app'lied, the head 14 isirotated so that the core will be supported in a vertical position ,'as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. A

tread bandjis now applied while the core is slowly rotated, the direction being counterclockwise, shown 111 Figure 1, lever being properly positioned :tor tlns purpose. The

. tread hand has line marked on its center tioned on the carcass the core is rapidly rotated by moving pedal 81 upwardly, suitable means (not shown) preterahlyhelng provided'to lock the pedal in its upper position to hold coll-ar73 in en agement with clutch 64. Thelever 112 is then manually operated toward the tread with the roller 118 in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the roller'118 heing'pressed agalnst the tread to' stitch itin place on the carcass, the bracket 116 engaging in the notch 122 due to th pressure thus preventing creeping of. the rel; er. When the tread has been rolled suiiicient ly the roller 118' is quickly shifted away t'rom tne tread along the lever 112 by manually engaging the handle 119, and the stitchors 123 are urged against the tire to gradually stitch the tread on both sides into overlapping relation to the side walls. The finishing operationsarei thus'completed, the core being removed from the chuck and another core carry ng a carcass heing' nounted thereon.

horizontal positions.

mosses The finished tire is then in readiness for delivery to the vulcanizers.

Modifications of my invention may he resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as claimed in the appended claims.

to said guiding device in the same direction in either position thereof.

2. A tire-making machine comprising, in combination, a mount for a core adapted to support the same in reversed positions, a t roshaping device movable onto a side of the core in either position thereof and adapted progressively to apply a composite side wall and cha'ler strip to the side and about the head of a carcass on said core, and means for driving the core relative to said shaping device in the same direction in either position thereof.

3. A tire-making machine comprising, in combination, a mount for a core adapted to support the same in a vertical or reversed horizontal positions, means movable onto the core from above when in either horizontal position for progressively applyiiu;- a composite side- *all and chat'er strip to a carcass on said core, and means for driving the core in either direction relative to its mount.

A tire-mal "g5 machine comprising. in combination, a mo .nt for a core adapted to support the same in a verti-al or reversed horizontal positions, means movable onto the core from above when in either horizontal posi on for progressively applying: a. composite side-wall and chafer strip to a carcass on Sitid core, said means comprising :1 st itcher adapted to :1 111 the strip to a side of the carcass, a second stitchor adapted to fold the strip about the heel of a bead, and means for driving" the core relatively to the applvinn means in the same direction in both of said WILLIAM C. STEVENS. 

